Exodus 18
1 Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
Pea ʻi he fanongo ʻa Setelo, ko e taulaʻeiki ʻo Mitiane, ko e tamai ʻi he fono kia Mōsese, ki he meʻa kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe he ʻOtua maʻa Mōsese, pea ki hono kakai ko ʻIsileli, pea mo e ʻomi ʻe Sihova ʻa ʻIsileli mei ʻIsipite;
2 After Moses had sent back his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro had received her,
Pea toʻo ʻe Setelo, ko e tamai ʻi he fono kia Mōsese, ʻa Sipola ko e mali ʻo Mōsese, hili ʻene fekau ke ʻalu ia;
3 along with her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”
Mo ʻene ongo tama: ko e tokotaha ʻi ai naʻe hingoa ko Kesomi; he naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “Naʻaku nofo ko e muli ʻi he fonua kehe:
4 The other son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
Pea ko hono hingoa ʻoe tokotaha ko ʻEliesa; he naʻe pehē ʻe ia, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻeku tamai, ko hoku tokoni, pea naʻa ne fakamoʻui au mei he heletā ʻa Felo:”
5 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the desert, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.
Pea naʻe haʻu ʻa Setelo, ko e tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese, mo hono ongo foha, mo hono mali kia Mōsese ʻi he toafa, ʻaia naʻa ne ʻapitanga ai ʻi he moʻunga ʻoe ʻOtua:
6 He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia kia Mōsese, “Ko au Setelo ko hoʻo tamai ʻi he fono, kuo u haʻu kiate koe, mo ho mali, mo ʻene ongo tama mo ia.”
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and went into the tent.
Pea naʻe ʻalu kituaʻā ʻa Mōsese ke fakafetaulaki ki heʻene tamai ʻi he fono, ʻo ne fakaʻapaʻapa ki ai, mo ʻuma kiate ia pea fefehuʻiʻaki ʻakinaua ki heʻena lelei pea naʻa nau haʻu ki he fale fehikitaki.
8 Then Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships they had encountered along the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.
Pea naʻe fakahā ʻe Mōsese ki heʻene tamai ʻi he fono, ʻaia kotoa pē kuo fai ʻe Sihova kia Felo, pea ki he kakai ʻIsipite koeʻuhi ko ʻIsileli, pea mo e mamahi kotoa pē kuo tō kiate kinautolu ʻi he hala, pea mo e fakamoʻui ʻakinautolu ʻe Sihova.
9 And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians.
Pea naʻe fiefia ʻa Setelo ʻi he ngaahi angalelei kotoa pē ʻaia kuo fai ʻe Sihova ki ʻIsileli, ʻaia naʻa ne fakamoʻui mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite.
10 Jethro declared, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians.
Pea pehē ʻe Setelo, “Fakafetaʻi kia Sihova, ʻaia kuo ne fakahaofi ʻakimoutolu mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite, pea mei he nima ʻo Felo, pea kuo ne fakahaofi ʻae kakai mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite.
11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”
Pea ko eni, ʻoku ou ʻilo ai ʻoku lahi ʻa Sihova ʻi he ngaahi ʻotua kotoa pē: koeʻuhi ʻi he meʻa ko ia naʻa nau fai fakafiefielahi ai, naʻe māʻolunga lahi ia ʻiate kinautolu.”
12 Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
Pea naʻe toʻo ʻe Setelo ko e tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese, ʻae feilaulau tutu mo e ngaahi feilaulau ki he ʻOtua: pea naʻe haʻu ʻa ʻElone mo e kau mātuʻa kotoa pē ʻo ʻIsileli, ke nau kai mā mo e tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese, ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua.
13 The next day Moses took his seat to judge the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening.
Pea pongipongi ai pea pehē, naʻe nofo ʻa Mōsese ke fakamaauʻi ʻae kakai: pea naʻe tuʻu ʻae kakai ʻo ofi kia Mōsese mei he pongipongi ʻo aʻu ki he efiafi.
14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone as judge, with all the people standing around you from morning till evening?”
Pea kuo mamata ʻae tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese ki he meʻa kotoa pē naʻa ne fai ki he kakai, naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “Ko e hā ʻae meʻa ni ʻoku ke fai ki he kakai ni? Ko e hā ʻoku ke nofo tokotaha ai pe, pea tuʻu ʻae kakai kotoa pē ʻo ofi kiate koe mei he pongipongi ki he efiafi?”
15 “Because the people come to me to inquire of God,” Moses replied.
Pea pehē ʻe Mōsese ki heʻene tamai ʻi he fono, “Koeʻuhi ʻoku haʻu ʻae kakai ke fehuʻi kiate au ki he ʻOtua;
16 “Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God.”
ʻOka ai haʻanau meʻa, ʻoku nau haʻu kiate au; peau fakamaau ki he tangata mo e tangata, pea u fakahā kiate kinautolu ʻae ngaahi fekau ʻae ʻOtua, mo ʻene ngaahi fono.”
17 But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.
Pea naʻe lea ʻae tamai ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese kiate ia, ʻo pehē, “Ko e meʻa ni ʻoku ke fai ʻoku ʻikai lelei.
18 Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone.
He te ke fakaʻaʻau ʻo ʻosi moʻoni koe, ʻa koe mo e kakai ni ʻoku ʻiate koe: he ʻoku mamafa lahi ʻaupito ʻae meʻa ni kiate koe: ʻoku ʻikai te ke mafai ia ʻe koe tokotaha pe.
19 Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.
Ko eni, fanongo ki hoku leʻo, pea te u akonakiʻi koe, pea ʻe ʻiate koe ʻae ʻOtua: Ke ke ʻi he kakai ko e fehokotakiʻanga mo e ʻOtua, koeʻuhi ke ke ʻomi ʻae ngaahi meʻa ki he ʻOtua;
20 Teach them the statutes and laws, and show them the way to live and the work they must do.
Pea te ke ekinaki ʻae ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni, mo e ngaahi fono, pea ke fakahā kiate kinautolu ʻae hala ʻoku totonu ke nau ʻalu ai, mo e ngaahi ngāue ke nau fai,
21 Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Pea ko eni ke ke fili mei he kakai ʻae kau tangata ʻoku mafai, ʻoku manavahē ki he ʻOtua, ko e kau tangata ʻoe moʻoni, ʻoku fehiʻa ki he manumanu; pea ke fakanofo ʻakinautolu ke nau pule ki he ngaahi toko afe, mo pule ki he ngaahi toko teau, mo pule ki he ngaahi nimangofulu, mo pule ki he ngaahi hongofulu:
22 Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.
Pea tuku ke nau fakamaau ʻae kakai ʻi he ngaahi kuonga kotoa pē: pea ʻe pehē, ʻilonga ʻae meʻa lahi kotoa pē, ke nau ʻomi ia kiate koe, ka ko e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku siʻi, ke nau fakamaauʻi: ko ia ʻe hoko ʻo faingofua ai kiate koe, pea te nau fai mo koe ke fua ʻae kavenga.
23 If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”
Pea kapau te ke fai ʻae meʻa ni, pea fekau pehē ʻe he ʻOtua kiate koe, te ke toki mafai ke tolonga, ai, pea ʻe ʻalu ʻae kakai ni kotoa pē ki honau potu ʻi he fiemālie.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
Pea naʻe tokanga ʻa Mōsese ki he leʻo ʻo ʻene tamai ʻi he fono, ʻo ne fai ʻaia kotoa pē naʻa ne lea ki ai.
25 So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Pea naʻe fili ʻe Mōsese ʻae kau tangata mafai mei ʻIsileli kotoa pē, ʻo ne fakanofo ʻakinautolu ko e ʻulu ʻoe kakai, ko e kau pule ki he ngaahi toko afe, mo e kau pule ki he ngaahi toko teau, ko e kau pule ki he ngaahi toko nimangofulu, mo e kau pule ki he ngaahi hongofulu.
26 And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.
Pea naʻe fakamaau ʻae kakai ʻi he ngaahi faʻahitaʻu kotoa pē; naʻa nau ʻomi kia Mōsese ʻae ngaahi meʻa faingataʻa, ka ko e ngaahi meʻa siʻi naʻe fakamaau ʻekinautolu.
27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own land.
Pea naʻe tuku ʻe Mōsese ʻene tamai ʻi he fono ke ne ʻalu; pea naʻe ʻalu ia ʻi hono hala ki hono fonua.
